The economy’s downward spiral has led to businesses cutting as many corners as they can with regards to costs. Companies are desperate to save as much money as they can get away with and that sometimes includes the hiring of engineers who have not yet been fully trained or gotten their professional certifications as they cost less to employ. Such approach may lead to dire results in the long run as well as the short and medium runs. There are a number of reasons that a heating and plumbing company should make sure that all of its engineers are professionally trained and certified. 1. Plumbing and Heating Engineers are required to have specific certifications in order to carry out their work. These certifications guarantee that the engineer understands all of the current codes and laws that they must work within. These certifications include the Part P electrical, the Unvented system training and assessment, CORGI certification (for gas work), BPEC and the prevailing Building Regulations.2. Plumbing and Heating Engineers that have obtained all of the training and proper certifications are able to charge more for their services either as individuals or as part of a company. Many companies base the starting wages upon the number and degree of qualifications an engineer has when they are hired. 3. Heating and Plumbing Engineers who take the time to ensure that all of their certifications and training are up to date have proven to be more reliable professionally than those who learn the work “in the field.” Their work is often of a better quality which reflects their understanding of the technical and legal requirements. These engineers provide a better investment to the company that hires them than someone who has not yet bothered to finish their training and certifications.Many companies choose to hire plumbing and heating engineers when they are just starting out because they prefer their engineers to be trained in certain ways. For companies who choose to do this, there are several governmental programs available to help fund the certification process. The CPS (Competent Person Scheme) is one such program, being used by several players in the plumbing and heating sector.It is important that plumbing and heating engineers stay informed about the up and coming “green” methods that are being developed. The world is turning towards environmentally friendly practices and, in order for a company to be competitive in a modern market, the engineers hired should be as well versed about the newer technologies as they are about the traditional ones. Such new technologies include solar thermal panels, underfloor heating and ground source heat pumps.With the economy as unpredictable as it is, plumbing and heating engineers need to make sure that they are fully certified. When customers are given the choice between hiring someone completely qualified and saving a few pounds on someone who hasn’t gotten all of their certifications, we believe customers will choose to spend more on a professional and certified engineer.

In the past your plumber’s van was something you would rather not see. An old and rusty van (normally a Ford Transit) with a dents and scratches that made it look worse than it really was. These days, plumbers’ vans are a far cry from that old picture, offering highly sophisticated kits, comfortable cabins and a wide variety of mechanical options. Competition in the commercial vehicle sector has pushed up standards and variety, offering the driver high levels of comfort and attention to detail.

Modern vans offer car-like comfort along with work-focused measures such as space, ruggedness and durability. They are available in various sizes, from 3 to 17 cubic meters of loading space, and can be customized to meet the plumber’s specific needs. Most vans now offer at least one sliding door (some offer a second sliding door as an option), offering excellent access to the loading space.

The back of the van can be customized either as a tailgate or a double rear door setting. Another useful customization offered is a reduced angle cab door opening clearance to allow the users to hold on the handle even if the door is fully opened thus minimizing the risk of hitting the wall or other objects.

Most traders’ vans sold in the UK at the moment are using a diesel engine. The main reason for their success is their fuel efficiency and high torque in the low rev range, helping in towing heavy loads. Developments in diesel engine design and assembly in recent years have made them smooth, quiet while keeping their advantage as longer lasting, cheaper to maintain and highly reliable powertrain systems. These developments apply to passenger cars as well as commercial vans.

Particulate filters, using mechanical filtering, remove carbon particles from the output gasses generated by the engine. The filter substantially reduces the amount of carbon emissions that is generated by the engine, making it less harmful to the environment.

Common rail systems have done wonders for the diesel engines in recent years. Similar in many ways to direct injection systems in internal combustion petrol engines, the common rail system has improved diesel engines’ smoothness, softened their noise and vastly improved the ride quality. Other important benefits of the common rail systems include better performance, improved fuel economy and increased torque output.

An alternative system is now being introduced which injects fuel at much greater pressure than conventional diesel engines. There are now several vans with engines adopting the new technology which offers improved efficiency and flexibility.

Modern light vans are now sold with gear boxes offering five or six gears. This improves the ride quality, offering a smooth ride. Some vans are now offered with automatic or semi automatic gear boxes, which are winning hearts on the highly congested UK roads and town centres.

Most modern vans now offer creature comforts that were not available even in luxury cars only a few years ago. Air conditioning, cruise control and satellite navigation are either standard or available as options. The quality and smoothness of the ride has also improved a great deal making long journeys feel less tiring.

Van manufacturers have also stepped up the level of safety features to bring vans in line with passenger cars. Most vans now offer a driver’s air bag, and many offer other air bags as options (side and curtain airbags). Other modern safety features include ABS (Antilock Braking System) and ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme). Both of these electronic features are effectively active guardians that would correct the vehicle direction or breaking in case of skidding, or breaking in wet conditions.

The American economic crisis has been making headlines all over the world for a few months but the US is not alone when it comes to financial difficulties. Various countries around the world have suffered severe economic meltdowns (Iceland and Ukraine just to name a few). The UK has also been having serious economic troubles as well, especially in the housing industry. There has been a twelve percent drop in the price of homes in the UK in the last twelve months. We ask – has the heating and plumbing industry been affected by this?So far evidence shows that the fallout from the economy has not affected the heating and plumbing industry as initially feared. Although there are reports of sales drops, there are still many companies reporting that sales are steady. The only major change seems to be the type of jobs undertaken by the engineers. Up to last year, when the housing market was on an upswing, many heating and plumbing engineers were hired to create completely new plumbing and heating or cooling systems. In many ways, a new house and would often lead to completely new plumbing and heating system to be designed and installed. Now that the housing market has slowed down, home owners are more concerned with making sure their current systems will last as long as possible, while keeping costs down.In recent months professional heating and plumbing engineers are being hired to undertake renovations and repairs to kitchens and bathrooms, as well as necessary refurbishments of cooling and heating systems. While on such jobs, the plumbers and heating engineers spend most of their billable time ensuring that a home’s vents and drains are working correctly and carrying out replacements and repairs for water systems such as hot water cylinders and older boilers. Heating and plumbing engineers are happy to book their hours, and they do not necessarily look for a redesign project with new built homes. Repairs and replacements provide dependable work and they ensure that these professional engineers are able to pay their bills.Some plumbing and heating professionals have reported that expanding their business to include environmentally friendly methods has helped them find new clients generate billable hours. UK residents are turning their focus on being “green” and environmentally friendly. As such there is growing interest in heating and plumbing professionals that can help make sure that their homes have the smallest carbon footprint possible.It is clear that the UK economy is having a rough ride right now but the professional heating and plumbing industry should remain fairly stable thanks to repair and renovation requests. Plumbers and heating specialists will also do well if they are ready to take on clients who want “green” technologies to heat their houses and their domestic water. Flexibility and ability to adjust to the circumstances guarantee that professionals will be able to get through the current economic crisis.